~TEXTILES~
weaving.spinning.dyeing.baskets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ The Tapestry....
~ Flint Hills Afternoon
I became a weaver at age 16 when my mother brought home a misfit loom she found for $40.00 at a garage sale. I totally took it over and taught myself. It was as if I had always woven, all of it made total sense to me. Soon it was the summer of 1969 and I was in KU struggling with a double major in drawing and painting and textile design. Years later I purchased my stunning Norwood cherry 50 inch eight harness loom with a loan from a bank. My first child. Then came my Swedish Glimokra 50 inch 6'2" two harness tapestry loom. It came with Swedish instructions, but every way it fit together was a different size so there was only one way to to put it together actually. I wove 10 hours a day when my kids were little, did the craft fairs, entered competitions and won and was a member of the local art guild. I even did a 2 plus year stint at the local Yarn Barn and was in the local Hand and Eye(I) gallery and Phoenix gallery. But, it all faded when I began Tae Kwon Do with my sons. A concussion as a yellow belt changed my personality and I lost all interest in my loom family. Sadly I stuck with TKD and became a national Grand Champion and a Fifth Dan Black Belt, but at a huge cost in multiple injuries. I am a future poster child now for CTE. Ahhhh but I never have forgotten to weave, nor lost the love for creating fiber arts. So last year in 2017 I saw a loom on Craigs list and told Paul that I wanted it. He said make an offer....I sold off art works in my portfolio and got it~ it's a 1959 24 inch Leclerc four harness beast. Then I found a tapestry I had stored away after taking it off of the Swedish loom when I sold it...and it was 2/3rd done... I remembered it as 3 inches woven so I decided that I must finish it. I was in the Kansas magazine for it in fact. So at xmas I built a Navajo style loom with my son Aaron's assistance. The wood I claimed from the landlords porch rebuild and added a few more cedar planks. The only room for this new 5' x 6' loom is for it at the foot of my bed in the attic with a very slanted ceiling. The first week I walked my face right into it several times forgetting it was there.....ouch.
But I am sooo happy to be weaving again!
But I am sooo happy to be weaving again!
Finished~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Navajo style loom is 5 feet by 6 feet. It is made of pine sides with cedar as the cross boards. Because it was built during xmas during a very cold winter it still needs to be taken apart and outside this summer and sealed to prevent cracking. I planned it with several options of weaving: one face front panel, or roll around for extra lengths, or several weavings on the same front using different poles. I used the bottom cross boards to also form a shelf area for yarn and tool storage. Note that this weaving was simply tied onto the poles. The next tapestry will be mounted in a traditional way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Home spun yarns!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SO MANY HATS!~Original pattern knit Tam Hats of my hand dyed home spun yarns!
~Hand Dyed Knitted tam hats of local Ad Astra farm Alpaca and Maggies farm Wools. Each hat is different in fibers and colors and fit sizes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Hand woven scarves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~BASKETS! ~ the Raffia and sari silk series ....
~At Summer School Kansas University I first made coiled baskets in 1969. Then again when I was working at the Yarn Barn in Lawrence about 1980-83. I am thrilled to now be totally enjoying a new learning of them. These are coiled using a fiber paper roping called rush as the core. I use traditional raffia from Madagascar and also sari silk from India. Add in some very cool beads too. They are very sturdy and so easy on the eye! I am also using long pine needles and walnut slices and shells on some baskets. Every one is unique....they make themselves, each has a personality of its own.